Use of a functional correcting brace in treatment of patients with idiopathic scoliosis

Purpose. To evaluate the effectiveness of using the functional correcting brace of Chenault type in treatment of patients with idiopathic scoliosis. Materials and Methods. The authors observed 53 patients (41 girls and 12 boys) who underwent scoliosis conservative treatment using the functional correcting brace of Chenault type. Age-related distribution as follows: there were 3 patients at the age from 5 to 9 years, 21 patients - at the age from 10 to 13 years, 25 - from 14 to 16 years, and 4 patients at the age from 17 to 18 years. As for the deformity type, the patients with combined scoliosis prevailed: those with right-sided thoracic arc and left-sided lumbar one - 35 patients. 4 patients suffered from right-sided thoracic scoliosis, 10 patients - from thoracolumbar scoliosis, 4 patients - from lumbar scoliosis. The patients were divided into groups depending on the deformity degree: 8 subjects - 11-25º, 30 patients - 26-40º, 15 patients - above 41º. Initially the growth of the spine bones was uncompleted in all the patients. Results. The deformity correction in children from Group 1 (11-25º according to Cobb) was 100 % in 3 patients, 70 % - in 3 patients; in Group 2 (26-40º according to Cobb) - 100 % in 11 patients, 90 % - in 3 patients, 70 % - in 3 patients, 50 % - in one patient, 40 % - in one patient; in Group 3 (above 41º according to Cobb) - 70 % in 2 patients, 50 % - in 5 patients, 40 % - in 2 patients, 30 % - in one patient. Conclusion. It is possible to achieve maximum correction in children with the scoliotic deformity of 11-25º and 26-40º according to Cobb, and that evidences of the fact that treatment with the functional correcting brace of Chenault type appears to be the most favorable at the early stages of the disease. Orthotics should be individual in view of the characteristic properties of the spine deformity and its progression prospects, age, the spine growth potential and therapeutic tasks.